


Ellacott Investigation Services

by Flanker27_UK



Category: Cormoran Strike Series - Robert Galbraith
Genre: AU, Role Reversal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:20:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 17
Words: 19,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24161983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flanker27_UK/pseuds/Flanker27_UK
Summary: Robin is having a bad day when some light appears at the end of the tunnel
Comments: 73
Kudos: 62





	1. A Bad Day at the Office

**Author's Note:**

> OK so people seem to like this AU so give me a while to plot and I'll continue
> 
> Plot suggestions welcome
> 
> I'll pause my other work where Robin has just had an envelope, only got a rough plot anyway
> 
> Thanks all for the enthusiasm, makes an old guy happy!

Sandra sat up at the stomping coming up the staircase, and the office door slammed open

A clearly furious Robin marched into the office, grunted at the office in general, roughly hung her coat up, stalked into her office and closed the door firmly enough to make the whole partition wall shake

Sam Barclay who was sitting on the sofa waiting to catch up with his boss raised an eyebrow at the secretary

“Hmm, glad I haven’t got my appraisal today” He said with a grin

“I think she might need some tea”

Sam went across to the kitchenette and made 3 cups, barely dunking Sandra’s, squeezing Robin’s till it resembled almonds and transferring the teabags to his own and mashing them till it was the colour of teak.

He placed Sandra’s cup on her desk

“Thanks Sam, I just don’t know how you drink Tea like that it must Tan your insides”

“Army standard San, once you’re used to it there’s no going back, enough Tannin and Caffeine to keep you awake on Stag”

_I wonder if it’s her arsehole of an husband again or something else?_ _Oh well here goes_

Matthew Cunliffe was universally disliked by all the employees of EIS, none of them could figure what their caring empathetic and clever boss saw in the stuffed shirt she was married to.

With a gentle tap on the door Sam stuck his head round and showed his hand holding the two tea mugs.

“Safe to enter?”

Robin, who had been sitting with her head in her hands looked up and gave Sam a weak smile.

“Sorry, shitty day, started off crap at home and just got worse on the journey in”

“Can I ask why?”

Robin sighed, she had no intention of sharing the train wreck that her married life seemed to have turned into, but the other

“Tim is coming into the office in an hour, I’m sacking the idiot”

Their new, overconfident and brash employee had phoned her from the hospital, which he had ended up in after crashing his scooter into the back of the car containing the suspect he was trailing. To make things worse the couple had stopped with him until the Ambulance had arrived and of course insisted on exchanging details. So much for covert surveillance!

Sam updated her on the case he was working then left for his undercover job in the council, where he was trying to identify who was leaking confidential information to the press. He was looking forward to finishing work as he was planning to have a drink with an old Army buddy he’d not seen for a while.

Robin sat and prepared for her meeting, writing out the formal dismissal letter for her errant employee, Gross Misconduct, but she was paying him a month’s notice, even though it wasn’t a legal requirement. She hated this part of the job but it was just necessary, she couldn’t carry dead wood. The business was just about profitable, but the salary she drew was the lowest of everyone, the cause of the row this morning with Matthew, as it had been for the 3 years she had been trying to build up the business that was her lifetime’s ambition.

\-----

The next morning Sam popped into see Robin specifically

“Hi Sam, what are you doing here?”

“Popped in with a suggestion”

“OK?”

“I went for a beer with an old Army chum last night, in fact It was the Suit who believed me when I was being fitted up with a drugs charge by the bastards who were nicking Army supplies. Well he’s out the service now, invalided out in fact. IED in Helmand but you wouldn’t know to look at him. So he’s out of work and I wondered if we could, you know use him as a contractor, like you did with me?”

“Is he good?”

“Oh aye, top class, bit quiet, big fella, tough and I know he works well under cover”

“Sounds good, get him to give me a call and set up an interview, what’s his name”

“Cormoran Strike”


	2. The Job

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin interviews her potential new investigator

“Well?”

“Give us a twirl”

Strike rotated slowly while his old & best friend Ilsa studied him

“You’ll do”

He had subjected his hair to a number 2 buzz all over, the only way that it would behave enough to look smart for an interview. Strangely he had just neatened and tidied the beard that he’d grown over the months, rather than a close shave, which made him self conscious of the facial injury that was exposed, no one could see the more extensive scarring on his body, or the missing leg. He thought he looked smart enough now. The freshly cleaned, dark blue, Italian suit fit him well, the bit of weight that he’d gained over the past 3 months living with Ilsa and Nick made him look much better than the gaunt figure that he had cut when they had taken pity on him & offered their spare room

“Just till you get on your feet, well foot, anyway!” Nick had joked, dark humour drove medicine as much as it did the Military

On discharge his sister had gladly taken him in but a combination of her cloying love, three young children and her husband had had him climbing the walls. So he’d accepted his friends offer with alacrity.

Strike had had a call from Sam the day after they had met for a drink to explain that a position may have come up where he worked. Sounded interesting, better than the desk admin & co-ordination post that Anstis had suggested to him.

He’d called Sam’s boss and after a chat had agreed to go and meet up

“Sort of a two way interview” She’d explained "we have to work as a team so we need to fit together"

_Eminently sensible, it does sound interesting and being a contractor to start with does leave the options open. Helps top up the less than generous disability pension that the Army had awarded as well._

So he found himself in Tin Pan Alley, outside a neat black door with buzzers for the various businesses inside. He pressed ‘Ellacott Investigation Services’ and was promptly answered and buzzed through.

_Spiral stairs, fuck, oh well at least there is a handrail._

He carefully climbed up to the office and with a brief rap of his knuckles went in.

He was presented with a very smart, neat and tidy reception with what seemed to be individual offices to his left.

“Hello, Mr Strike?” He nodded

“If you would like to take a seat Miss Ellacott is just finishing off what she’s working on, would you like a Tea or Coffee?”

Strike requested a Tea and was very pleased when it came almost as strong as he liked it

“I thought you would like it strong, Sam says its Army standard”

He nodded his gratitude and sat down on the neat two seater leather sofa, which unusually for such office furniture was almost silent.

He made polite small talk with the secretary, his background made it easy to get on with people and he always treated the little people with the utmost respect. An attitude that had paid dividends for him many times in the past

He couldn’t help noticing how attractive she was, with a full figure that appealed to him and the most amazing Strawberry Blond hair that hung in soft waves about her face. Very little makeup and a kind, caring aspect. Also a wedding and large, ostentatious, engagement ring which somehow didn’t match the rest of the woman.

After a few minutes typing the secretary logged off and stood up

“Right let’s go through, I’m Robin Ellacott” offering him her hand which he took with a grin

“Cormoran Strike, nice technique for weighing someone up”

They moved into Robin’s office proper and Sandra who had been doing some filing smiled at her boss and moved back to her own desk, closing the door on her way out

“Well you passed stage one anyway, I won’t employ anyone who thinks that they’re superior to a secretary”

Strike laughed

“I know the little people make the world go round, I treat everyone the way I want to be treated”

“That’s a good attitude”

“So Cormoran, I can call you Cormoran? I’m Robin to everyone”

“With pleasure, Sam told me a little about the job and it does sound interesting.”

And for an hour they chatted together, quickly sussing each other out, Strike was impressed by her intellect and Robin was impressed with just about everything. She had done her research well digging into his family background, asking about his Military Cross which he’d laughed off as he always did. By the time the hour was up. He desperately wanted this job and to work with this brilliant woman who had captivated him.

“OK I’m happy Cormoran, if you are I would like to offer you a contract for a case and see how that goes?”

They chatted about pay rates and expenses and Strike was pleased with what was proposed

“One last question Robin, You never mentioned my disability, you know I have lost my right leg”

“Does it disable your brain? You seem to have adapted to it well, I’m not going to expect you to pass a Combat Fitness test you know”

Strike gave her a satisfied smile

“Right, I’m more than happy to give this a go, when do you want me to start?”

“Are you free now?”

Robin reached down into her left hand draw and pulled out a Manilla case file, passing it to Strike, “You can use the desk in the adjoining office to get yourself up to speed. It’s a typical wife who thinks her husband is being unfaithful. I just need you to get watertight evidence so she can divorce him”

“Sure, sounds pretty straightforward, what’s the guy’s name?”

“Matthew Cunliffe”


	3. Starting the Job

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cormoran examines his task & forms a plan

Strike gathered up the folder and with a nod of his head moved into the office next door, which was obviously set up for occasional use. He grabbed a pad and pencil from the well-stocked shelf at the side. Everything he saw about the operation he’d just agreed to work for impressed him. The whole set-up was well organised, clean and tidy and smacked of a well ordered mind. That appealed to him from his Military career and was a total contrast to the chaos of his upbringing. He was really quite like his sister both striving for order and normality in their different ways.

Going back into the reception / general office area he asked if Sandra would like a drink and checking with Robin by holding a cup up to her from the doorway proceeded to top up his tannin level and start to make himself part of the team.

Settling down at the desk he left the door open, not wanting to shut himself away, there was very little noise anyway just the gentle murmur from Robin as she made calls and seemed to update clients on progress on their cases. He did prick his ears up when she said “Minister” and “Mr Chiswell”. She obviously had some quite influential clients! The gentle tapping of Sandra on her keyboard he found quite relaxing.

_Anyway Strike that’s enough procrastinating, let’s get to it, your first investigation for more than a year, got to make a good job of it, this is the sort of place I could happily settle down to_

He undid the string holding the file together and slipped the contents out onto ‘his’ desk and quickly sorted through them. Again everything was ordered and logical with colour coded tabs on the various paper work with an index sheet detailing the contents with space to add further items as required

There was a small brown envelope label ‘Physical 1’ which on the index list was described as ‘Item discovered in marital bed’. He tipped a diamond ear stud into his hand and studied it, it was quite large and looked like it was expensive. Whoever had lost it would not be happy about it.

Pulling the pad towards him he started to build a ‘Mind Map’ of the evidence available to him, a technique that had served him well in SIB allowing him to quickly assimilate information and visibly pick up gaps that needed more work to complete the picture.

There was a considerable amount of information from the client about her suspicions details of the suspected unfaithful husband’s movements and the reasoning behind them. Full details of workplace, know social activities and 2 A4 crystal clear pictures of the man in question together with a less clear image of a Blonde woman, obviously taken with a long lens. This was labelled mistress?

There was one glaring omission from the map that Cormoran had produced, there was nothing to identify the client, not even a home address for the target. That made Strike sit and ponder for several minutes. Then starting a clean sheet he began to develop and action plan of how he was going to address the case and obtain the proof required.

There was a gentle tap at the open door and Strike looked up to see his new boss in the doorway, the light seemed to catch her hair and make it glow.

“How’s it going?”

“I was just going to run through my plans with you and sort out the rest of my week”

“Sounds good, OK?”

Robin gestured, picking up the Mind Map,

“This looks interesting?”

“It’s just a Mind Map, I picked it up in SIB, it’s just a useful tool for organising information and gives you the ability to analyse something quickly, as you can see I have a pretty large blank regarding our client & target’s home life, that’s something I need to fill in, but not as a matter of urgency. Tracking him down when he’s out on his extra marital meetings is more important so I’ll be shadowing him to figure out his movements. Any reason there are no client details?”

Robin sat on his desk corner and smiled at him, Strike felt a lurch in his stomach when he smelt her delicate perfume under laid by what he could only class as ‘warm Robin’ he didn’t usually build up such an attraction so quickly but there was just something about her. Something that a glance at the rings on her fingers he ruthlessly suppressed.

“She just wants to be as low profile as possible, doesn’t want it to impact her work life if you know what I mean? I think I’ve heard of Mind Maps they were on the Syllabus but hadn’t covered it by the time I dropped out of Uni”

Strike filed that little nugget of information in his encyclopaedic memory

“Right then Cormoran, I try and have a staff meeting Friday afternoon followed by a quick drink, would be great if you could come in for that and update me on progress, also you can meet the other guys and get an idea of their workload, just in case anything crops up. Yours’s is a bit low profile though so you just need to update me one to one. Now you OK for everything? Do you need any advanced expenses?”

“Nope all good”

“See you Friday then but a daily phone update would be nice”

_I’ll look forward to seeing you Friday, very much indeed_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mind Maps are a fabulous tool when you get the hang of them  
> I used them a lot when I was at work, especially for diagnosing problems or taking notes  
> I've started to experiment with using them for plotting stories
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_map


	4. Deptford

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Home isn't happy for Robin

**Chapter 4**

Robin slammed the door on the rented ex sea captains house she shared with her husband, let out a sigh

_I shouldn’t feel so glad to leave home_

She had really tried with Matt last night, leaving early to get home and make a home cooked Thai curry that was his favourite.

_I don’t know anything and Cormoran’s update yesterday indicated he hadn’t found anything yet, still it had only been 3 days._

The meal had been a peace offering, a hope that she was just a bit paranoid, attaching too much to what she’d been through at Uni, when Matt hadn’t been as supportive as she thought. She just wanted back the lovely boy and man she’d fallen in love with walking in the glorious Yorkshire countryside, the thoughtful gifts he’d given her then, not valuable but priceless to her as a teenager. Now all his gifts were ostentatious, just to show off to his colleagues, for effect with no thought to her tastes. A glance at the large ring, too hefty for her elegant hands, reinforced those feelings. But she kept circling back to the ear stud that she had trodden on in the bedroom, there was no reason for it to be there and she was fairly sure she knew who had a pair like it.

But Matt had come in in a foul mood, something had happened at work that he’d taken umbrage too and Robin had paid the price. She’d laid the table, made a special effort but he’d just picked the plate up and said he wanted to watch something on TV. She’d lost it at that point and an all too frequent screaming match had ensued. All his venom directed at her, playing at being a business woman and detective. Should be earning more to get a better house and then concentrate on having a family. Something that Robin didn’t even want to contemplate.

 _A baby, I’d be tied to him them wouldn’t I, no freedom to be my own woman, when he proposed I thought that’s what I wanted but since the agency took off….._

He had been exceptionally spiteful about her latest employee

“Bloody hell employing cripples now, are you a home for waifs and strays?”

Matthew couldn’t see past Strikes disability and Andy’s illness and see the skilled and dedicated employees that they were.

_Cormoran was a good call, we would have been stuck this week if he hadn’t had that contact_

EIS’s techie and computer expert had decided to go to India to ‘discover his spiritual self’, which was OK but to tell your employer, by text from the airport most certainly wasn’t.

She had shared this with Strike on a catch up phone call and his response was “Leave it with me for an hour”. Followed by the appearance in the office later that day of Dan Herbert, “Call me Spanner” who had taken over the very ex-techies work and extracted the required information from a suspect laptop in less than an hour. The previous guy had been at it for a week! Needless to say he was now on a retainer with a nice bonus for getting the data needed. 

She was too wrapped up in her angst to notice a dark figure, in a large coat, stealthily walking in the same direction she was.

She got the the DLR Station and tapped her card, climbing up the stairs to the platform to get the next train to Bank. Still lost in her thoughts she missed an individual waiting out of her direct sight line.

The train pulled in and she found a seat and sat down, still mulling things over in her head.

Someone sat down next to her and she glanced, somewhat angrily at them, there were plenty of spare seats after all, to be met by a pair of green eyes crinkling at her with a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“Morning Robin”

Her mood seemed to lift abruptly, in only a few days she had come to respect and like the big ex-soldier. There was just something about him, he was just. Nice.

“Oh hi Cormoran, I didn’t know you lived this end of London?”

“I don’t, I’m in Wandsworth at the moment”

“Oh so why?”

“Just confirming a theory”

“Were you going to tell me that my suspect was your husband or were you just waiting for me to figure it out?”


	5. The Question

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cormoran's story of the lead up to the meeting on the train

Strike groaned and silenced the beeping alarm on his phone. Despite all his time in the forces he still hated getting up before 5 in the morning, this was the third time this week he’d had to do it, but it was all in a good cause. He really liked the buzz of being back in the job, the careful analysis of data, the search for further information, the development of theories.

And this one was intriguing, the process was familiar to him, he didn’t have the backing of a warrant card any longer, so he had to extract information through guile and influence. A method he actually preferred, his multiple sessions of undercover work for the Army, and in one case on exchange with a US organisation that was very circumspect about what they did. But he did get a commendation that would never be public and a very nice meeting with someone he didn’t know in a suit in a building near Langley, Virginia at the end of that one! 

OK so this morning was going to be a bit of a risk, he hadn’t really decided why Robin hadn’t been completely honest with him about the case. Was it a test to see how good he was? He didn’t think that was the case though, it would have been far too difficult to organise. Anyway a quiet pint with Sam had established what the rest of Robin’s team thought of her husband.

So, she is either worried or embarrassed about it, so I’m going to rip the band aid off this morning and see how things develop.

He’d actually made his way to Denmark St at some time each day this week. The excuse being that it wasn’t fair on Nick & Ilsa to use their house as a home office. Really? Well he just liked being around Robin, something about her brightened his day and gave him a warm glow. He had plenty of experience with women and thought Robin quite liked him but she was nothing more than pleasant with him. Probably maintaining a correct Boss/Employee distance.

As he dried himself after his shower thinking through what he’d discovered and what he was going to suggest they do next, he was hoping that she would go for it and not just terminate his contract there and then!

_I don’t think that’s likely, but you never know. I wonder what that perfume is? It’s so delicate and suits her so much. FOR FUCKS SAKE CUT THAT OUT STRIKE, SHE’S YOUR BOSS._

He had had an interesting week, having had a great curry with his friends, his treat as now he was working he could dip into his savings, explaining his new job and the people he was working with

That had produced a sly look from Ilsa, ”And is she attractive this Robin?”

This produced a muttered “Very, but that’s neither here nor there as she is married”

His first full day on the job had involved visiting Cunliffe’s place of work, a massive glass tower in the city, multi occupancy. He had a bit of luck then as the security was managed by the Corps of Commissionaires, all ex-military. Strike had been able to easily get office location information from the guy on duty, who was an ex Redcap that had been in Germany with him, although to be honest Cormoran couldn’t remember him at all. He had been truthful to an extent with the guy and explained that he was helping a friend who was convinced her husband was having an affair and got the agreement from the guy, Derek that was his name, to text Strike if he saw his target meeting up with a woman.

At the end of the day, he’d merged with the crowds and when he spotted his target easily shadowed him onto the tube and then the DLR. The guy seemed oblivious to his surroundings, typing away on his phone and then talking on it. His whole demeanour was of a lover exchanging silly banter. But that wasn’t proof of course.

Strike carefully noted the times, which would be a good cross reference with the client to see if she was the other end of the conversation. 

He followed the guy home, picking up a free newspaper on the train for cover and watched him as he entered a classy, old terraced place in Deptford, up and coming, probably quite expensive.

He settled onto a bench to watch for a while after taking pictures with his phone.

_I’ll just give it a couple of hours, see if the wife, my client, makes an appearance._

Then he saw a figure in the distance, cream trench coat with quite noticeable hair. He slipped into a shadowed doorway and took a couple of pictures that confirmed the identity of the client, and his target’s wife

_Well Strike, this is interesting._

Over the next couple of days he had followed his target as he bought a sandwich from Pret. A lunchtime visit to a pub where he drank with his colleagues who Strike thought all brayed like a herd of Donkey’s

Then while he was reading the paper and having a coffee near to the office of his suspect he received a text from Derek, ‘Woman waiting in reception for Cunliffe’

Strike quickly finished the dregs of his coffee and made his way towards the office reception, just in time to see Cunliffe coming down the steps, with a quite scrawny looking blonde woman who was laughing too loudly at what her companion was saying and had her arm linked through his. Making a pretence of studying his phone the detective quickly snapped some pictures of the couple, including one where she was leaning her head on his shoulder.

He’d carefully pulled all the information together and now had a course of action planned that Robin had to agree to. Basically he needed his boss, and client, as he now knew, to work with him to entrap her unfaithful husband.

Strike was as sure as he could be that the jerk was having an affair.

_What an idiot, what a moron, he has Robin as a wife and plays around with that scraggy looking tart. If she was my wife I would treat her as the treasure she is…. FOR FUCKS SAKE STRIKE STOP THINKING THAT WAY, SHE’S YOUR BOSS ENDEX_

What he needed, and as Robin had specified in the case brief, was evidence that would stand up in a divorce court. Which, if Robin agreed they would get in a couple of weeks

Strike made his way again to the nice suburb and hid in plain sight, waiting for his Boss and client to appear out of her house.

He followed her quite easily, she was obviously quite distracted

_Hmm Miss Ellacott at the very least you need a counter surveillance refresher after this._

Waiting till she got on the train, he sat next to her, exchanged pleasantries, then asked the question that his future employment depended upon.

He held his breath, waiting for her response while she just gazed at him with those amazing grey-blue unfathomable eyes. 


	6. Morning Coffee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cormoran reveals what he's found
> 
> Next steps are planned

Robin looked at the big man next to her, her eyes wide, she suspected he would be intimidating to others but she felt she had known him for years, she felt his innate goodness and wasn’t at all scared by his rough exterior. When she had first shook his hand it had felt like a tremor had run up her arm, it seemed like she was welcoming an old friend home. She had wanted to give him a very inappropriate hug. He overwhelmed all her senses.

_I thought Matt was a man but he’s a boy compared to Cormoran. His smell, his presence the way he looks at me, it just feels right. **Stop it Robin** , your life is complicated enough without adding this animal attraction to the list. He’s a contractor you have to keep your distance!_

While her thoughts whirled he just sat looking into her eyes, like green beams boring into her soul. Then she notices a change. Doubt and worry appearing there.

Giving him a smile she reached and took his hand. She just sensed him take a sudden intake of breath as their flesh joined, and she felt it also, the lurch in her stomach, his huge, rough hand just felt right, that it just belonged, like it had always belonged.

_You’ve only known him a few days, but it feels like forever._

“No, not a test Cormoran, nor a lack of trust, I was just embarrassed, I know it’s our job but I don’t really want all my dirty linen aired with everyone”

“I understand.” Her hand received a caring squeeze, a reassuring grip, which hinted at great strength restrained.

“I know this great family owned Italian Espresso bar not far from Bank station. How about I treat you to an original coffee and I update you what I’ve found and maybe agree where we go from here”

Robin pushed her hair back behind her ear.

“That sounds like a plan, my treat though if you’re sharing your secret places with me!”

That produced a laugh and a relaxing of the tension that had built between them

Strike was right, the Café was amazing, you could feel the history in the old wooden booths, a steady stream of city workers passed through their doors, mostly older generation, the place wasn’t ‘hip’ enough for the current crop of city boys

_Its lovely here, Matthew would hate it._

Strike went through the pictures he had taken, getting a look from Robin when he shared the ones he had taken of her returning home on the first day that he had trailed Matthew.

“How did you get that? I never saw you”

“That’s the idea of covert surveillance Boss, I guess you have been a bit distracted but we all need refreshers on surveillance from time to time”

Strike got his notebook out and shared with Robin the times Matthew had been chatting intimately on his phone, as he suspected the object of his discussions hadn’t been his wife.

When he shared the pictures he had of the blond woman Robin reacted angrily

“Fucking Sarah Shadlock, that’s who I suspected, the utter Bastard, he’s got form with that cow”

Cormoran calmly wrote down the name in his notebook and attached a note to the pics in his phone

“OK Cormoran, what do you suggest the next actions are?”

Strike seemed to ponder for a few moments sipping his double espresso, Robin took a drink of her Latte. The heat in her features slowly calming

“Well we need rock solid evidence, nothing he can cast doubt over or wriggle out of. I would suggest we lay a two pronged trap….”

And Strike proceeded to layout his ideas with Robin nodding along.

“Are you sure you wouldn’t object to such intimate surveillance, it would be a major invasion of your personal space, whichever way it goes?”

“No, it’s getting unbearable I just want out, but I don’t want him to have any chance of getting anything out of the business”

“Tell me if I’m too forward but I think you could do with some independent legal advice, now I’m currently staying with a childhood friend who happens to be, in my opinion, an amazing lawyer. I could fix up a meet with her out of hours so it wouldn’t raise any suspicions with your…”

“That’s, fine, no it’s great, are you sure it wouldn’t be too much trouble?”

“Not at all, I'm sure Ilsa would be happy to help” 

Coffees finished they separated with Robin heading for the office and meetings, an to prepare for an undercover job she had the following day. Cormoran set off to dig deeply into the background of Ms Sarah Shadlock

Spinning round Robin called.

“Don’t forget team meeting tomorrow, after work at the office, I think I have some more work for you as well. And it’s Chinese takeaway this week”

Strike turned around and with a big grin held his thumb up


	7. Takeaways

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Friday team catch up 
> 
> And planning future work

Strike straightened his tie and tugged down his suit jacket, he felt slightly uncomfortable at this location, although it was familiar to him, not having his erratic ex by his side certainly was.

Christies, ‘An Auction of 15th Century Chinese Pottery’. Not where Strike had expected to be today, but having tracked down Cunliffe’s suspected lover he’d followed her to work and, luckily it was a sale day so he could wander around quite easily and build bit more of a picture of Ms Shadlock’s life. Always good background information when building a case against suspects.

He was just examining a blue patterned plate in a glass case, wondering why someone would spend as much as a house on a bit of crockery when he caught site of a tall, clean cut, handsome man moving through the displays. Stepping into a space alongside the cabinet he appeared to be checking his phone, while actually videoing the upcoming meeting. Sarah spotted Matthew and with a quick word to her colleague scampered across the room and planted a not very platonic kiss on her paramour’s lips.

_Pity I can’t get close enough to hear what’s being said_

The picture went very fuzzy and Strike looked up at the couple who were standing right in front of him.

One of his worst nightmares

“Bluey, what on earth are you doing skulking around here, you were never interested in antiquities when we were together”

_Oh Christ I better be careful here she could make a dreadful scene_

He smiled at his ex, then took in the somewhat extended stomach and the arm through the arm of Jago Ross

“Can’t really say Charlotte, I’m working”

“Working, I thought the Army had retired you”

_Think Strike_

“They have but, ahem you can sometimes serve your country in less visible ways. And there was supposed to be a Russian purchaser of some of this stuff, but it doesn’t look like he’s making an appearance.”

Strike pocketed his phone and forced a smile onto his face, nodding towards Charlotte’s ‘bump’ “I see congratulations are in order, when is the baby due?”

“Another 4 months, I cannot wait to get it all over and done with, still they are boys aren’t they Jago, so that’s good. Anyway can’t stop Jago has his eye on a pair of Ming vases for the country house”

With that and a glare from his old rival the couple swept away to get seated for the auction, which was about to commence. The confrontation, which Strike had to admit to himself had gone better than he’d dare hope, meant he’d lost sight of his targets so he decided to head back to the office.

 _Will be nice to meet the rest of the team, I wonder what else Robin has in mind, she did say that she had some other work for me. A Chinky and a beer is just what I need_.

\-----

Strike had finished typing up his notes and was chatting with Sam and Andy, EIS’s other two investigators when there was a buzz, which Sandra answered.

“Robin needs a hand with the food will someone pop downstairs and help her please?”

“Aye, I’ll do that” Sam responded quick as a flash with Cormoran internally cursing his missing leg preventing him being able to help

Sam came back in with a bag emitting wonderful smells and a 6 pack of Stella for them to drink

“Wah-ay. Can of ‘Wifebeater’ Corm?” The Scot asked opening a tin with a hiss while Sandra laid out plates cutlery and glasses on the table.

The door was shoved open and

A strange Goth woman came into the office with more bags and a bottle of wine

She put her load down and smiled at the assembled team

Strike was astounded, this creature with Blue and Black hair, tattoos, piercings and dark brown eyes, it couldn’t be, then Robin smiled at the team Andy and Strike who were surprised and a grinning Sandra and Sam who had seen her prepare to go undercover in a Wiccan store.

“Wow that’s impressive Robin, I wouldn’t have, and in fact I didn’t recognise you”

“Hair powder, fake tat’s, clip on jewellery and coloured contacts, only took me about an hour. Right guys, tuck in and update me on where we are”

Strike listened while the two guys updated them on progress. As well as the usual infidelity work the team were working on a Blackmail case for a Government Minister that was consuming a lot of resource.

“Cormoran you can update me on your Case after, plus I’d like you to take on some of the Blackmail work, would that be OK?”

“That would be great Robin, the more work the better!”

While chatting Robin stood and leaned over to help herself to more Pork Balls and rice and the already short black mini dress rode up showing even more shapely thigh to Strike. A surge of testosterone flooded though him and he had to take a large gulp of beer to get his equilibrium back.

After pleasant goodbyes Robin took him into her office and Strike updated her on progress.

“Nothing definitive I’m afraid, just all circumstantial so if you’re still happy we’ll have to go with the entrapment plans”

“OK, err I have something to ask you Cormoran and I’m not sure how you’ll react”

“I’m a big boy just ask, I’ll tell you if I’m not happy with anything”

“Well, we need to get access to a trustee of a charity, and there is a big ball organised but we need to wangle an invite somehow, The client, Chiswell, could just force us in but it would look suspicious, especially as I’ve been working on and off as an intern in the House of Commons for him”

Strike sat patiently waiting for her to get to the point

“A good way in would be for a disabled ex-serviceman to be invited, and I know it’s a cheek but I thought we could get you an invite and maybe I’d go as your +1 and..”

She stopped, intently studying Strike who was trying desperately to keep an annoyed, poker face expression while Robin anxiously studied him. All the time he wanted to shout _Yes,Yes,Yes_

Then a huge grin split his face and he nodded his acceptance 


	8. Bugs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plan to catch Matthew takes shape.
> 
> Robin gets the wrong idea

Robin nervously manipulated her keys in her left hand as she walked along the now familiar pavement towards the house she had regarded as her home and refuge from the world. It was increasingly coming to feel like a prison to her, trapping her in a marriage that was only that in name.

“Don’t worry, we don’t have to do this you know, if you’re worried we can come up with something else” Strike’s soft grumbly accent a strange mix of London and countryside, reflecting his peripatetic childhood, was strangely soothing to her.

“No let’s get this sorted I’m damn sure this has happened at home before so it’s likely to happen again”

As they approached her front door there was the strange buzzy rasp of a small capacity engine and Spanner appeared on his vintage Vespa, pulling alongside them grinning.

“When you going to replace that ‘Chicken Chaser’ then Spanner, it’s embarrassing” was Strike’s greeting with Robin just nodding hello

“It’s a classic Federico, doesn’t lose value like modern kit, anyway it’s such a sod to start nobody would nick it”

Opening her front door Robin ushered them into her kitchen and almost by reflex switched the kettle on.

“We safe from Matthew, he’s not likely to pop home is he?”

“No off on an audit in Croydon, told me he would be late as it was ‘complex’” I suspect he may be having a crafty evening with that cow so it’s an ideal time to get this setup”

It was mid-morning and Robin had quickly arranged for them to come to her house when Matt had ‘casually’ mentioned his work arrangements the previous evening. Spanner had been an easy arrange as he was quite enamoured with Miss Ellacott. Mind you so was Cormoran, but he thought he was just hiding it better.

“Right I just need to hide this base unit somewhere with mains power. The cameras have lithium batteries and last at least 3 months and we can hide them anywhere”

The plan was to have the bedroom monitored with a couple of tiny, but high definition cameras that incorporated motion sensing with a central storage unit hidden away that recorded everything onto a memory stick that could be retrieved and replaced as necessary. Spanner was an utter wizard with such tech and he was already dismantling the smoke alarm and replacing the LED with the camera. It even flashed every minute like the real thing so was undetectable, unless someone opened the case, and to avoid any chance of that he replaced the battery with a brand new one. That done he carefully took apart the old digital alarm clock on the bedside table and introduced the other camera into there, carefully positioning it so it peered through the clear plastic of the LED display.

“Right, so we should have full coverage of the bed area now”

Pulling out his phone he quickly linked to the installed kit and checked.

“Robin, Fed, would you mind just lying on the bed, make sure there’s no issues”

Robin slipped off her shoes and lay down on her side

“Come on Cormoran”

“OK, but my leg”

“Just lie with your legs dangling, it’s to make sure faces are crystal clear”

_For Fuck’s sake Spanner you have me on the bed with Robin! Now what was the finishing positions in the Premiership last Season, I know Arsenal missed getting into Europe……._

Anything to distract from lying inches from Robin, her unique scent washing over him, stirring all sort of emotions that he shouldn’t be having.

“OK so just face each other as if you are about to kiss”

_For fucks sake Spanner this is sweet torture she smells wonderful. Now where did Brighton finish that season……_

_Wow he’s so big he seems to fill the bed, I wonder what he would be like to kiss, his shoulders are so broad and the hair, he’s covered FOR FUCKS SAKE ELLACOTT GET A GRIP!_

“Right that’s done want to check”

Strike pushed himself upright and stood up moving to Spanner’s side where he was gesticulating with his Tablet. Robin trotted across and stood alongside

_Wow she’s quite tall even without her heels, I like tall girls FFS STOP IT_

They both looked at the video clip that Spanner was displaying, each lying facing each other, zooming into their faces each showing, what were those expressions?

“So you can link with Wifi to review the camera footage but it’s best to swap the memory stick regularly so you have a hardcopy. I’ll set the app up on your phones but you need to be close by for them to work. I can link it via your broadband hub but then someone who checked would see the devices listed so it’s just direct. It will automatically record from when it detects movement and stop if there is no movement for 5 minutes. The stick should hold about 2 hours”

“Thanks Spanner, would you like to join me and Cormoran for lunch in the pub?”

“Love to but, I got a message that one of the Investment Bank’s has got a Solaris box on its back & I have to get over there and fix it. Bet it’s some sort of user error as those Servers are usually rock solid ” 

While Strike waved him off and grabbed a quick cigarette Robin tidied around, putting the bedroom back to normal and even staring at the new cameras couldn’t see them. She washed and dried the tea cups and put them away. Shutting and locking the front door she directed them to the local for some pub grub and discussions on what came next.

Strike liked the old fashioned boozer as soon as he entered, a proper pub atmosphere with a chalk board menu of today’s meals.

“Will they recognise you, I mean is it your local or anything?”

“No we came in together once and the look on Matthews face was enough. I do come in sometimes for a bit of quiet time and a glass of wine, it’s just so nice, nothing like all the fake chrome and glass palaces you get in the city”

“A Girl after my own heart, this looks great, you know they’re ruining pubs.”

They ordered drinks and sandwiches at the bar, A pint and small white wine and sat down to discuss plans.

“Well this ball next week, Chiswell has got us a ticket for you plus one. He said that he was expecting to have to argue but as soon as he mentioned your name they just smiled and agreed. Any idea why that would be?”

“Dunno, but let’s not look a gift horse in the mouth”

“So transport, I can drive but I’ve only got Matt's Audi which probably isn’t really appropriate”

“Don’t worry my mates dad is a Cabbie, I’ll fix it with him. Where should we pick you up”

“Hmm I suppose I could change at the office”

“Or you could come back to my place, there’s bags of room and I know you girls like to look just right. Also” 

“Also?”

“Well you could meet Ilsa the Lawyer I was telling you about, I’m living with her and you could maybe have a chat, and see if she can help?”

_He’s living with a woman, he’s kept that close to his chest. Don’t be stupid Ellacott of course he is, a guy like him would be snapped up in an instant none of your business really_

“OK so Wednesday then”

“Yep Wednesday”

With that the food arrived and they both went quiet and ate, each lost in very different trains of thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to LulaIsAKitten for the Ilsa idea, I stole it, a nice little twist I hadn't planned
> 
> PS had to get a plug in for my old Company, best computer manufacturer and employer in the world!


	9. Cottage Pie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin Meets Ilsa and they prepare for the Charity ball

**“** You got your stuff here? We better make tracks, best if we grab a Cab back to my place, if I’m going to be on my feet all evening, and maybe dancing I need to rest my…”

Robin looked down involuntarily at Strikes right leg

“Does it hurt you much? Sorry it’s none of my business”

Strike thought the pale pink blush that travelled up her neck to her face was totally endearing

“Don’t worry about it, we are going as a couple to a ball for the disabled so I better brief you hadn’t I?”

They settled into the black cab and Strike slid the privacy screen across to stop the Cabbie earwigging. “Well you saw from my CV I was RMP, well, as well as my SIB & undercover stuff you have to do a tour of normal policing, so I was doing my stint in Helmand, with about a month to go, I was partnering a TA guy who was doing his first deployment and I was showing him the ropes. Well to cut a long story short we were off to investigate a KIA when we got caught in an IED. I got a prickly feeling, I call it my ‘Lizard Brain’ and grabbed my buddy out of the front seat when it blew. I lost my right leg below the knee. And yes it does hurt at times, bloody kills me to be honest but if I rest it’s OK and a lot of the time people just think I have a bit of a limp.”

Robin just looked at him,

“What a bloody awful thing to have happened”

“Yes it was wasn’t it, but hazards of the job and I’ve come to terms with it. Now tonight?”

“Yes as you’re my plus one are we going as a couple?”

“I think that would be sensible wouldn’t it, would your partner mind”

“Partner?”

“Ilsa isn’t it”

Strike roared with laughter, “you thought Ilsa is my partner, oh that’s rich, her husband, Nick is my best mate, she was my other best mate from school in Cornwall & I sort of introduced them”

_Really so he hasn’t got a love interest, that is interesting. NO IT’S NOT STOP IT ROBIN._

_“_ We could kill two birds with one stone, Ilsa works from home a lot so I could introduce you and you could maybe consult on how to organise a divorce, you know if I find….”

“I’m sure you’ll find what’s needed Cormoran, I think I’ve known he’s been cheating for ages but I’ve just been burying my head in the sand, I have had a quick phone conversation with her and a meeting would be good”

Robin put her hand gently on his arm “Thank you”

They chatted together effortlessly, like old acquaintances,

_She really is easy to get along with, I think she’s the most intriguing woman I’ve met since, well since ever I suppose. Bloody hell Strike what would she see in an old cripple like you._

The cab pulled up in Octavia St and Strike got out & settled the fare with the driver. Robin grabbed her bags and a dress carrier and followed Strike to the front door. He produced an key and entered calling out to Ilsa as he did so

“Hi Ils’, we have company”

There was a brief pause and an attractive blonde came trotting down the stairs, her hair in a ponytail with a pair of horn rimmed glasses pushed up onto the top of her head.

She stuck her hand out

“So you must be the famous Robin, Corm has told us a lot about you.”

Ilsa didn’t miss the glances that were exchanged between the two detectives

“He did say he was going to suggest we meet up and discuss your legal options and I can spare some time before dinner if you like?”

“Dinner?” Robin had just noticed the rather gorgeous smell emanating from the kitchen.

“Yeah, I know what these city events are like, if Corm has to exist on a few Canapes the rumbling of his stomach will drown out the band, I’ve just thrown a cottage pie in the oven, give you something to soak up the alcohol”

“You’re very kind, you shouldn’t have”

“Nonsense, any friend of Corm is welcome here anytime, even his Boss” delivered with a sly wink

“Let’s grab a cuppa then we can go into my office and spend a bit more time going over what we briefly discussed on the phone.”

“See you in a bit then, I’m going to go and rest for a while”

“I’ll bang the wall if you snore, he’s in the room next to my home office” Ilsa explained

Strike stripped down to T shirt & boxers, taking off his leg he spent 5 minutes massaging the prescription creams into his stump and, setting the alarm on his phone, lay back on his bed to try and catch up on some of the sleep his stint of early mornings had robbed him of. He lay there listening to the rhythm of the conversation his boss was having and quickly dropped off to sleep.

\-----

“That was so nice Ilsa, you must let me have the recipe, it was delicious”

“Of course, it’s really easy and it reheats as well, good job as it looks like Nick is stuck at work again”

“What’s your husband do?”

“He’s a Doctor, hoping to be a consultant Gastroenterologist, his job’s hours are as bad as Corm’s and yours I bet!”

Strike had demolished a large plateful and was pleased to notice that Robin had made respectable inroads into her portion.

“We'll we have to be there in an hour or so I guess we better get ready”

“Of course, Robin do you want to use our room, there’s an en-suite bath room so you can grab a shower and do your hair”

With a smile of thanks Robin followed Ilsa upstairs. Strike had already showered and had tidied his beard up so sat and watched the news, he knew he would only take 10 minutes to get ready so relaxed for a while.

A suited and booted Strike, looking good in his dinner suit, with a green bow tie and shoes as shiny as only a squaddie can get them was standing waiting for Robin, chatting with Ilsa when a movement on the stairs caught his eye. Robin paused on the steps and smiled at her partner for the evening, who was standing entranced.

She was a picture of beauty, clad in a clinging, poison green silk dress that clung and accentuated her curves, her hair in flowing waves with a simple, rose gold choker necklace that perfectly complemented her hair, slightly more make up than normal seem to enhance her beauty and Strikes nostrils flared at the subtle perfume she had used, a headier version of the scent she used every day that Strike just classed as ‘eau du Robin’.

“Right prince charming, do you want to take me to the ball?”


	10. The Ball

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cormoran & Robin bond at the high class charity event  
> Robin discovers Cormoran has a very unexpected friend

“Right then, I’ll just give Nick’s dad a bell and see if he can do the job, otherwise we’ll just have get a Minicab”.

“Hang on Cormoran, let me try something”

Robin pulled her phone out of the elegant clutch bag she was holding and scrolled through her contacts, stopping she made a call

“Hi Kieran, I know I should have called sooner but any chance you could pick me and a friend up from Wandsworth and drop us off in the West End? You could, that’s great. No not sure about the return, its work and you know what that’s like. Great see you soon”

Robin realised she had an audience. “Thought if we turned up in a chauffeured Merc it might help the cover story a bit”

Strike raised a questioning eyebrow?

“He was Lula Landry’s driver, helped me solve her murder, I couldn’t afford his rates normally but he’s happy to help out if he’s free”.

A few minutes later a black E class pulled up outside and the waiting couple made the way to the kerb, the driver with a beaming smile at Robin and a nod of acknowledgement at Strike opened the rear door. Strike was relieved to see the amount of legroom in the back, he hated having to use his hand to manipulate his prosthetic in front of people, especially people he didn’t want to show any weakness in front of.

They settled back into the leather upholstery and Robin gave Strike a quick smile and squeezed his hand. She chatted with the driver easily and Strike absorbed the conversation while watching the London scenery pass him by.

_She really is so good at empathising with people, no wonder she’s a good detective and boss…_

They arrived at the venue and Kieran joined the queue of luxury motors waiting to drop off the rich and famous. The scrum of photographers were pouncing on each car as it pulled up to the red carpet, grabbing pictures. There was major pushing and shoving match going on at the car in front as the Paps jostled to get pictures of the person alighting. Strike had not a clue who the blonde exiting the car was

“Who’s that Robin?”

“Oh she’s the latest star of EastEnders”

“Ah enough said, I lived in the East End a lot with my mum, it’s nothing like what I’ve seen of the TV version” Strike said, with feeling.

They reached the head of the queue and a dinner suited flunky opened the door for them, Strike swung his legs out and pulled himself upright using the car door. He turned and offered his hand to help Robin, his eyes fastidiously avoiding the rather pleasant décolletage that Robin was displaying.

_Eyes front soldier, you don’t want her to think you are a perv._

However he did store away the image that had seared its way into his brain via his peripheral vision. He offered his arm and they made their way up the steps

“You would think that a disabled support ball would have picked a venue with less steps” he good naturedly grumbled.

“There is special access I think, there was something in the invite documentation, you are OK with this aren’t you? Sorry I never thought”

“No it’s fine, I spent a long time learning to navigate steps at Headley Court, anyway I can hang on to you can’t I? I bet you thought the arm offer was just my innate gallantry” the tug of a smile at the corner of his lips gave away the truth of his comment

“Cormoran you are such a teaser”

_Yes and it’s well worth it to get that smile and blush from you!_

They entered the vast hall, Robin handing in their invite to the liveried doorman. Making their way towards the bar that ran the length of one side of the room.

“Drink?”

“Yes please, tonic water with a slice please, must keep my wits about me, I get giggly after 2 or 3 glasses of wine”

Another nugget filed away in Strikes brain under the subject ‘Things I love about Robin’ 

“Make that 2 please, so we are on the pretend Gin and Tonics for the night” the last aimed at his truly gorgeous partner for the evening.

“It’s best”

_I wouldn’t mind seeing you a bit giggly, at all, STOP IT_

“We need to try and find Chiswell and brief him on what we are trying to do, he’ll be no use helping us getting near Della Winn, they can’t stand each other”.

A hush went through the audience then the chatter resumed as the guest of honour arrived, Prince Harry looking very smart with his neatly trimmed beard and distinctive hair, in his Blues and Royals mess dress for the night.

“Bugger she’s hosting him, we won’t stand a chance of getting near her for ages now”

Strike thought for a while, then going for it

“We might have a chance, let’s see if he’s as good a guy as I remember?”

Robin stared at him

“Come on”

And covering her hand in the crook of his elbow made their way towards the crowd around the Royal party.

There were the usual sycophants trying to ingratiate themselves to the Prince who was being as stiltedly polite as his position demanded.

They came to a stop a few feet from the main group of people

“Now let’s hope I can catch his eye, good job I’m tall”

They waited politely when the Prince, who was nodding gently at some old lady who was pontificating to him about something or other suddenly caught sight of Strike looking at him. He thanked the lady, who was still in full flow and excused himself and nodding to Strike beckoned to him. The pair made their way through the crowd of muttering glittering people.

“Sergeant Strike, how the hell are you? And what are you doing here?” 

“Captain Wales, sir. I’m afraid I’m here as a participant, left quite a bit of my right leg on the road to Lashkargāh.”

“God that’s rough, you seem fit though and who is this young lady with the pedigree hair?”

“This is my Partner sir, Robin Ellacott”

 _Well we are partners for the evening after all_

“Pleased to meet you sir” Robin gave a hesitant curtsy

“You are a lucky woman bagging Strike here you know”

Robin glanced up and gave a wide smile

“I am sir, he’s a wonderful man”

“That he is, and brave, I’m willing bet he’s never told you anything about Firebase Delta and how he won the MC has he? Get it out of him when you get the chance. Now Strike are you going to join my Invictus Games?”

“Well boxing was my thing sir but I was always a good shot, I could have a try at that”

“Excellent, well got to mingle, Della have a chat with Strike here he’s just the sort of man we need to push Para sports”

Strike struck up a conversation with Della while Robin chatted with the rest of her party, finding the committee member she was looking for and charming their number from them so she could ‘discuss a significant donation in the near future’

The band started up and Robin took the chance to re-join Cormoran

Strike looked at the stunning woman in front of him, and before he could think any better.

“This is a slow number, Robin would you care to dance?”

“Can you dance Cormoran?” She then dropped her eyes blushing “Sorry that sounded awful”

“Had to dance in the Army, but my mum taught me as well. Can manage a waltz at least but have to pass on a quickstep I’m afraid”

Taking her hand he led his boss to the dance-floor and in time with the music swept her round the floor. Robin was amazed that such a big man with only one leg could move so gracefully. She looked up at him and smiled. Then the music changed to a much slower tempo. Without thinking Robin held Cormoran close and laid her head on his chest, hearing the reassuring thud of his heart, which was beating much faster than she expected, keeping pace with her own.

The music then changed to a much faster pace

“Can’t manage that I’m afraid, get all you need?” Robin nodded her success “OK fancy a proper drink?”

They made their way to the bar

“Same but for real?”

“Two Gin and Tonic’s please, doubles”

Walking onto the terrace it just seemed natural for Robin to slip her arm through Cormoran’s

“So recognised by Royalty Mr Strike?”

“Hmm”

“Oh Come On! You can’t just shrug off what happened, thanks by the way that contact is just what we need to try and prove the fraud that seems to be going on in the charity!”

“That’s good, glad I was useful”

“Don’t deflect Cormoran, how on earth do you know Prince Harry, more importantly how do you know him so well he’ll call out to you?”

Strike sighed, he knew she wouldn’t leave it alone, knew he’d have to give something up if he was going to get any peace

“Well, everyone knows Harry was an Apache pilot, but what isn’t so such common knowledge is that he also did a partial tour as a Forward Air Controller in Helmand, calling in airstrikes, responsible job, tough and takes guts. He isn’t a playboy Prince that’s for sure.”

“So?”

“Well you don’t let the second in line to the throne out in a combat zone with no bodyguards, let’s just say they picked the biggest, meanest looking Redcaps to accompany him at all times. You do tend to bond when you are getting shot at”

“And, the MC?”

“No, not going there, maybe another time, but not after such an amazing evening”

_So you think it was an amazing evening as well do you, it’s such a shame it’s got to finish but I need to get home. And face Matthew. I’d rather sat and talk with you, the more I’m with you, the more. OH STOP IT, you’re married, to an arse that you are trying to get rid of. You just can’t make it more complicated_

The Gin had warmed her tummy and made her very relaxed. The crowd was dispersing so they made their way toward the exit where a rank of Taxi’s were collecting the party-goers.

They waited patiently, not talking, with Cormoran’s arm feeling like it was on fire where Robin’s hand nestled.

“Sorry I called you my partner earlier, it was the first thing I thought of. And thank you for the compliment, you didn’t have to say that”

She gave him one of those smiles that turned his insides to jelly

“I only told him the truth”.

Their Cab arrived and they jumped in, Strike giving Robin’s address and his as a 2nd drop.

Companionable silence filled the Taxi as each was lost in their own thoughts, each would have been surprised that the same things were filling their minds.

They arrived in Deptford and Robin leaned her hand on Cormoran’s arm, her eyes were sparkling as she looked at her consort for the evening.

“Thanks Corm, you were brilliant, couldn’t have got what we needed without you”

Without thinking she leaned across and kissed him gently on the lips.

“See you tomorrow, let’s get together in the office and debrief tonight's work”

Strike was still so shocked by the kiss he just grunted OK as the door slammed and the Cab set off for its next destination

Skipping up the step to her house Robin had the key ready, her mind still on the sensation on her lips and the feelings coiling in her belly when the door swung open

A very angry looking Matthew was standing there

“And where have you been dressed like a high class hooker? I got away early and thought we could go out somewhere. Instead you turn up at midnight stinking of booze and aftershave. And don’t you say its work, you don’t have to kiss your employees, I saw you!”


	11. After the Ball

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Strike heads for home with much to Ponder
> 
> Robin and Matthew argue

Cormoran sat in the back of the cab, recalling the evening that had just past. Was it as wonderful as he remembered? Robin hanging on his arm a vision of loveliness, he couldn’t get her out of his head. She filled his thoughts, her smell permeated his mind, how could this woman, who he had known for less than a month, burrow her way into his mind, his soul. He raised his hand to his lips and ran his calloused finger across them, it felt like her quick, gentle kiss was still lingering, it felt like the first kiss of his life, the first that had meant anything to him.

He grinned to himself, wait till he told the girl who had first stolen a kiss from him, though kiss-chase in St Mawes primary school & a 6 year old Ilsa were a long way from what he had just experienced!

_Why did she kiss me? Do I have a chance? I’ve always thought love at 1 st sight is bollocks. But, the first time I saw her it was like an electric shock, every time I touch her I get a jolt, I can’t get her out of my mind, and the way she looked at me when Harry spoke to us, that couldn’t have been an act? Could it? She is good though, just think about the Goth act. Yes but her eyes, they were staring into my very being, it felt like it was real? Fuck Strike get a grip, it’s an infatuation that’s all she’s a caring, empathetic person who you are trying to free from the arse she is married to, that’s all. What are you a bloody angst ridden teenager again? GET A GRIP it will all feel different in the office tomorrow._

_._

_._

_._

_Won’t it?_

\-----

“Really Matthew? High class hooker? Thanks for that, anyway from the stink coming from you, you have had far more to drink than me. Are you going to let me in? Have a civilised conversation about this?”

Matthew grudgingly stood aside and let Robin enter the hallway

“I saw you kiss him you tart, have you been fucking him all night?”

He was trembling with anger, Robin had never seen her husband this incandescent with rage, she started to worry, he had never physically frightened her before, but there was alarm building in the back of her mind.

“Yes you saw me give Cormoran a peck, it was a platonic thank you following a job well done. It was work, doubt me if you like, but he got us into an event that I would never have been able to and got the contacts and leads we need to progress the Chiswell case. No more than the kiss you give Sarah every time we meet up with her and Tom”

Matthew snorted in disbelief

“How the fuck has he got any influence to get you anywhere, who has he introduced you to anyway, fat fucking cripple”

Robin was getting steadily more and more annoyed, he was like this with everything she tried to achieve, him constantly belittling her, mocking her achievements, always carping about how much money she didn’t bring in

She took a deep breath.

“He is a good guy, Matt, he has contacts, you wouldn’t believe who he introduced me to tonight, got me the way in I needed”

“Go on then, which ‘contact’ impressed you”

“He introduced me to Prince Harry if you really want to know, there satisfied, is that a posh enough contact for you?”

A snort of disbelief issued,

“Yeah right, where would Prince Harry know a rough git like Strike from?”

“Cormoran was his bodyguard in Afghanistan, if you really must know, and Harry told me what a great guy he is, mind you I had worked that out myself”

“Had you, so you are fucking him then!”

Exasperated Robin went upstairs to the bedroom

“There’s no talking to you when you’re like this, let’s just sleep on it and I’ll tell you all about it in the morning, when we are both a bit calmer”

Matthew followed her upstairs and she smiled at him

“Please Matt, there is nothing going on, honest. Can you unzip me and I’ll put the dress away, you know how much it cost.”

There was a strange look in her husband’s eyes as he approached

“Oh I’ll get you out of that dress alright”

He pushed Robin back across the bed roughly dragging the Cavalli gown up above her waist, a tearing sound coming from the delicate material as he did so.

“You are my wife and I’m going to have my conjugal rights whether you want to or not”

He plunged his hands down the front of the pale green silk french knickers, roughly pushing his fingers into her. Robin winced 

“So you are moist, like it a bit rough do you? Or was it for that bastard?”

He tore the scraps of silk away and pushing his jeans and boxers down roughly mounted Robin, not caring how much pain he was inflicting, rough animal pleasure, showing his domination of his chattel wife, not bothering to pleasure her in any way. Robin lay immobile, her legs flaccidly apart, hoping he would finish soon, tears running down her cheeks, staring at the winking LED in the smoke alarm, recording her degradation and the collapse of anything left of her marriage. 


	12. The next morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day following the ball  
> Robin and Cormoran review things

Strike whistled cheerfully as he ran the clippers around his beard, tidying it up nicely he thought.

He ran his fingers through his hair which, as always, was starting to sprout uncontrollably and resemble the pubic bush of his Army nickname. He hated the almost shaved head of his military days and to be honest found it soothing to run his fingers through his hair while pondering a problem. Also several ex-girlfriends had remarked on how nice it was to caress.

_I wonder if Robin would like my hair? That tosser of a husband is very smooth, I wonder if that’s what she goes for? Strike! You have to stop thinking like this, you have no chance with a girl like Robin. But you thought you had no chance with Charlotte either did you? And look how that ended up._

_But, what was that kiss last night?_

He had found it very difficult to sleep when he’d finally reached his room, his senses full of Robin, his heart lighter than it had been for, for how long? Longer than he cared to remember really. The heady rush when Charlotte had smiled at him at the Uni party, the sheer joy of wanting to be with her all the time, the jolt every time he caught sight of her. The smell of Shalimar was still triggering for him, one of the reasons he avoided the cosmetics areas of stores as much as he could. He felt now as he did in those heady days, something had invaded his system and it’s tendrils were reaching all parts of his being. He found himself grinning to himself, this was so alien to the ‘miserable fucker’ demeanour he’d always displayed before. His sleep had been further troubled by muffled giggles and knocks from his friend’s bedroom, Nick and Ilsa were considerate but it was their house and they were very vigorous when the mood took them and the empty wine bottles in the kitchen had forewarned Strike that his peace was likely to be disturbed. All of which meant he had had a night troubled by dreams, dreams including the sensation of kissing and a halo of golden hair above him as he groaned with pleasure. 

Ilsa was just pouring him a mug of Tea as he came down stairs, 3 rounds of hot buttered toast were waiting for him, his old friend grinned at him

“Well you look remarkably cheerful this morning, so?”

“Nothing”

“Don’t kid me Corm, I can’t remember you being this happy in a morning for ages, what gives”

“Nothing”

“Please yourself, I’ll wheedle it out of you, you know that don’t you “

“Nothing, just a pleasant evening with Robin, that’s all”

“Really” Ilsa arched an eyebrow at him

“Just drop it OK? Anyway, have to go need to get into the office and debrief from last night”

\------

Robin carefully applied her makeup, trying to cover the dark bags under her eyes, the red rims from the crying she’d done, alone on the couch trying to rest underneath a blanket. Matthew had tried to be conciliatory after he had used and abused her, but Robin wouldn’t, couldn’t lie in bed with him, cuddle like nothing that had happened, she had tried to sleep on the sofa, refusing to listen to his entreaties to come and talk, apologising for pushing her, but stressing he had needed her desperately. Sleep hadn’t come, she may have dozed a little but all the time her head was whirling

_That won’t wash, nothing you did last night was about your needs, it was all about power, all about you dominating me. Well enough, I have to get you out of my life. I’m better than your subservient spouse._

And mixed in with all the thoughts of the horrible sex forced upon her was mixed in with flashes of what had gone on the previous evening, especially the feel of Cormoran’s lips on her, the woody smell of his aftershave, a subtle taste of alcohol on his lips.

Matthew came and stood behind her watching her apply her cosmetics. He gently put his hands on Robin’s shoulders, leaned down and kissed her neck softly. She stiffened but he didn’t seem to notice.

“I’m sorry I upset you last night Rob, I was a bit drunk and angry. Sorry I was a bit rough but you know I love you so much and I needed you so badly. We’re OK aren’t we? Maybe we can go out somewhere nice? Or I could cook you that Salmon thing you like? What do you think?”

Robin forced herself to try and answer normally “Depends on work Matt, I don’t feel like going out, I’ll text you”

That seemed to mollify her husband who kissed her on the cheek and left with a cheery wave and a “See you tonight” as if nothing had happened between them.

_Maybe he is that dense that he thinks I can forget last night_

Robin shuddered and remembered what had happened, how she had felt, on the verge of panic, just waiting for him to grunt his way to his climax and leave her alone

_I loved everything about him for years, he was my strong handsome spouse the day we married. But, now my flesh crawls at the thought of him touching me again._

Finishing she looked at the haunted, drawn women in the mirror and prepared to go to the office, to what was becoming her sanctuary. Opening her laptop bag she pulled out one of the tiny, high capacity USB sticks that Spanner had provided went into the airing cupboard, where the camera base unit was hidden. 

“You sure your husband won’t find it in here”, Nick’s brother had asked, wiring the small system into the Immersion heater plug.

“He thinks fairies do the laundry” Robin had snorted in response.

It took her just moment to swap out the one in there and replace it. She stood looking at the innocent looking sliver of aluminium, scarcely bigger than her thumb nail

_Will this be enough, can I use this for divorce?_

Robin wouldn’t know for sure until she had viewed the footage but she feared that it might not be.

\-----

Cormoran had just put a cup down on Sandra’s desk and was cradling a large mug of his own, with a suitable teak hue to it when he heard light footsteps on the stairs. He turned expectantly towards the door with a smile to welcome Robin, he couldn’t wait to discuss last night’s operation with her. However all the joy within him drained away when he saw her, she looked haggard, 10 years older. Her sparkling grey/blue eyes were dull and lifeless, red rimmed. She nodded at the pair of them and vanished into her office shutting the door behind her.

Cormoran and Sandra exchanged looks

“Hmm I think tea is required” and Strike moved to the little kitchenette and filled the kettle full, 10 minutes to boil should be enough for her to get her head in gear.

A few minutes later Cormoran tapped gently on the door and peered round it, Robin was sitting staring at her laptop screen, seemingly on another planet.

“Tea OK?”

He spoke as gently as he could and gave her a hesitant smile, wondering where his sparkling, ravishing companion from the previous evening had gone.

She looked weakly at him and gestured to come in and shut the door. Waving him into the chair opposite. Strike just looked at her openly and patiently until she met his gaze.

“Well, can I help?”

Robin sighed

“This is so embarrassing, I need someone to check whether this” waving her mug towards the laptop screen “is enough”

With a sigh she motioned for him to bring his chair round so that he could see the screen. She gave Cormoran such a look that his heart was in his mouth. “Corm, I know I can trust you, this happened last night and I wonder if it’s enough grounds for divorce. But I warn you, it’s not pleasant”

Strike’s heart was racing what on earth had she got? That arse of a husband of hers couldn’t been shagging around while they were out, he wouldn’t have taken such a risk surely?

He wasn’t prepared for the images that ran before his eyes

Robin standing with her back to the camera, her hair shimmering as he remembered from the previous night, he wasn’t prepared for the fact that she was only dressed in pale green silk bra & French knickers when she pulled the dress he’d seen so recently over her head and smoothed it over her curves

He felt his breath catch in his throat, she was stunning!

“Oops sorry it’s the next clip”

Robin looked away while the next seven minutes of recording scrolled past the man she’d asked for help’s eyes. She felt him go very, very, still scarcely breathing.

The clip came to the end and Strike exhaled, she looked into his eyes, expecting pity but all she saw was concern and anger

“Oh Robin, what an awful thing for you to have to go through”

She reached for his hands and gasped as she saw his blood coating her where he held them

His fists had clenched so tight blood was covering their hands where his nails had pierced his palms.

“He’ll pay for this Robin. He’ll pay”

And with a sob, like a little girl, she climbed onto his lap, into his arms, for desperately needed comfort. 


	13. Road Trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin And Strike hit the road

After about ½ an hour Robin had stilled, the sobbing stopped and she just sat huddled in a foetal position in his lap. Cormoran just kept still, his hand continuing to gently stroke her back as it had while he was trying to soothe her crying. She finally sat up and looked at him, her makeup plastered across her face, and Strikes shirt.

“Cormoran, I’m so sorry, what must you think of me, I must look frightful”

The soothing hand continued, enticing her to stay where she was.

_Frightful isn’t what I’d use, beautiful but in pain more like, pain that I’m going to extract retribution for_

“No, you look like you needed comforting and a friend to cry on, I’m just glad you thought me a good enough friend for you.”

She looked into his green caring eyes and saw compassion, and something else, something that made her heart flip, the same thing that she had felt when they had briefly kissed in the Taxi.

 _No Robin, forget it. Lose these feelings, it will just complicate matters. You are just on the rebound and he’s been caring that’s all_

“So, what’s your next move? I’ll help you in any way I can, you can count on me”

“Thanks Cormoran, you are a real friend, I don’t think I can face going back to the house tonight. I’ll just pop to the loo and clean up and then would you mind helping me plan what we do next”

“It would be a pleasure Robin” and he gently smoothed her somewhat dishevelled hair behind her ear “I’ll distract Sandra while you do that”

“You mean you don’t think she heard me crying? Come on Strike!”

Robin lead the way out into the main office and with a shrug & bit of a grimace at Sandra went into the sparkling, clean and tidy washroom across the landing.

“She OK Corm?”

“Obviously not Sandra, we’ve just got to do what we can to support her through this”

“That shit-bag of a husband again is it?”

Strike looked surprised at the petite, plump secretary who he had never heard swear or say a bad word about anyone before. He just shrugged

_It’s not my place to say, but it looks like this sort of thing has happened before_

Robin came back into the office looking fresher, all the stray makeup washed clean and her hair scrunched into a pony tail. The aftermath of her distress was still plain to see, but there was also confidence and stiff resolve to overcome this.

“I think more Tea is needed” And she busied herself preparing a brew for herself and her two staff.

“Come on through Corm, we need to plan a trip to Oxfordshire, are you OK to stay away a couple of nights?”

\-----

“Damn, I don’t want more trouble at home but Matthew will kick off if I take the Audi for a few days.”

Robin had explained that there had been a frightening development in the Chiswell case and Barclay had discovered that a child may have been buried on the Country Estate of the Minister and they needed to investigate before they got the Police involved.

“We must check it out Boss, but I dinna think there is anything in it really, I mean the poor wee lad is off his head, probably just a figment of his imagination” Sam had updated them on the progress he was making in the hunt for the Blackmailer they were pursuing.

“Hmm, think you could drive a Landrover Robin”

That earned him a very disparaging look

“Only since I was about 10!”

Strike pulled his mobile out and called up a contact, what followed was from the ½ of the conversation Robin could hear was some extreme male banter, but all delivered with an undertone of warmth that the words couldn’t disguise.

“Right, that’s sorted, we just need to get across to the Mile End Road to a lockup and we can use my Landrover”

“You’ve got a Landrover?”

“Of course, I was a class A Police driver before…” Strike suddenly stopped, thinking of the last time he’d driven a military vehicle. “Not much good now, can’t cope with the double de-clutching. Anyway a Lanny will fit in better in the outback of Oxfordshire than an estate agent’s car like an A3”

“Why have you got a Landrover?”

“Well we always got the inside line on surplus sales and a mate of mine had bid for one, it’s a nice Lightweight model, spent most of its life tootling around airfields so was a bargain.” Strike grinned at the memory “Right up until he lost it to me in a game of pool. I keep it at a mates and he has use of it, I used to just take it off road occasionally, bit of fun really. Can’t drive it now though so this will be a nice run out for it”

\-----

“Right, this is it, come on in & meet Shanker, he’s sort of my step brother”

They went down stairs into a decidedly dubious looking snooker hall, a small man with ginger hair & beard and a surfeit of tattoos grinned at them, exposing a gold incisor. Robin thought she had never met anyone who looked more criminal in her life.

_Step brother, bloody hell Cormoran you must have an interesting family!_

“Bunsen! How you doing, this your new lady?”

The pair hugged, banging fists into each other in that strange male manner, while Robin observed, feeling like an awkward outsider

“No, this is my new boss, Robin this is Shanker”

“Hello darling, you keeping Bunsen under control then?” and winked outrageously. She couldn’t help but grin at the little man

_I’ll have to get the inside line on this unlikely pair, got a lot of time in the car to do some surreptitious digging, it’s only fair given what he knows about my disaster of a life._

A set of keys were tossed from behind the bar, which Strike plucked effortlessly from the air.

“Tanks are full”

Strike turned back and glared at him

“Better not be red diesel this time”

Shanker clutched dramatically at his heart

“You wound me Bunsen, naw it’s legit, sort of”

Shaking his head and gently holding Robin’s arm he steered them out of the club and along the road to a set of ubiquitous railway arches that were common in this part of the Capital. Undoing the padlock he opened the garage wide to expose:

A bright yellow Landrover, that looked immaculate, paintwork gleaming with the spare with its chunky cross country tyre bolted to the bonnet

Robin stared at it, not quite believing her eyes

“Yellow, it’s yellow?”

Strike looked seriously at her while trying desperately not to giggle

“Of course it’s yellow, I told you it lived on an airfield, they paint them that colour so aeroplanes don’t bump into them by accident.”

“Right here you go, pull it out and I’ll lock up” He tossed the keys to her

Robin jumped into the driver’s seat, feeling immediately at home, it was very similar to her dad’s old one, the one she’d learned to drive in. It started first time and she carefully manoeuvred it out and waited while he closed up the garage.

The rest of the morning passed quickly. Robin drove home packed herself a bag and threw a load of snacks into her small rucksack and brewed a big flask of coffee for the journey. She left a note for her husband, explaining she was away following a major development in the Chiswell case. Her pen hovered for several seconds before signing it, Rx.

_If I didn’t leave a kiss he would just have a major strop, not like he isn’t going to anyway. I just need to keep him as quiet as I can until I’ve got what I need_

They then swung past Octavia St and Cormoran quickly packed his kitbag and borrowed a spade and pickaxe from Nick’s shed for their planned excavations later. With everything loaded Robin headed out for the A40 and Oxford, planning to scout the area before meeting with Sam the following day.

“I’ve booked us a couple of rooms in the Oxford Travel Lodge, that way we can check everything out before we need to do any digging. We have a meeting with a girl that used to work with Chiswell’s horses at Newbury Races tomorrow, hopefully that will give us more info. We didn’t need to stay away two nights, but this gives Matthew more time to incriminate himself”

“You sure about this Robin?”

This had been the point of planting the cameras after all, given his past performance Strike had suggested giving Matthew enough rope and being away for a couple of nights should give him time to take advantage of the empty home with his lover.

“I am, I’d like to have a few drinks and a nice meal out tonight and not think about my twat of a husband, I’m sure you know where to go”

Cormoran looked at her fondly and smiled, “well I knew where to get pissed on the cheap fifteen years ago, I’m sure we can find something”

The miles passed quickly as Robin confidently steered the Landrover, eating snacks and Cormoran feeding her Jelly Babies that he’d got in his coat pocket, exchanging chat and Robin teasing personal information out of him.

_Bloody hell I’ve shared more of my private life with Robin than I ever have with any other girlfriend! Girlfriend, well she is a good friend and well she’s certainly a girl. Where’s this going Strike? Where do you want it to go?_

Just off the M40 and into Oxford, they managed to hit the traffic around the Cowley plant. They found their hotel and picked up the room keys, typical budget hotel, clean and comfortable. They went into their adjoining rooms agreeing to meet in reception to get something to eat.

Robin shut the door and leaned against it, her mind whirling

_Well you know lot’s more about him now, are you sure about how this is going? Each touch of his fingers to her lips had sent a surge directly to her groin. This feels like when I first dated Matthew, except. Except so much more, he just seems to get me. I feel so comfortable and safe with this man. My god he’s such a man, I’ve never felt more protected than when he comforted me this morning. Oh God am I really in love with a man I’ve only known a few weeks? But it just feels right, it’s like we’re meant to be, like I’ve known him forever._

Pushing herself away from the door she quickly unpacked, hanging up her clothes, putting her toiletries away in the bath room and stood, planning what to wear for this ‘casual evening out with a good friend’

\-----

Strike stood in the tiny reception area, studying the various tourist brochures arrayed in a rack when he felt someone behind him. He knew it was Robin before he turned around, her scent alerted him as soon as he detected it.

“Right, ready for the highlights of Oxford?”

_Wow she looks amazing!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For non Brit's, Red Diesel is tax free and for farm use only & in the US! Thanks Chilly :-)
> 
> I did a bit of a trip down memory lane as I spent several happy years driving Landrovers like Strike's  
> Pretty well exactly like this https://i.pinimg.com/originals/87/6b/4d/876b4d47f4f80bca9428c2027077eee7.jpg
> 
> (Not Military Police though, that's just a happy co-incidence!)


	14. Dinner or Date?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They eat out in Oxford

Robin was dressed in an elegant summer dress that flattered her figure. A hint of cleavage was on display, enough for Strike’s nostrils to flare as he took in her appearance, and to absorb the heavenly smell of her. The perfume she wore overlaid with her shampoo and body lotions produced an aura of loveliness that he just wanted to absorb.

“You look nice Robin, let me see if I can find us somewhere to complement you!”

Without thinking he offered his arm, almost a muscle memory from his time with Charlotte

_What you doing you idiot, this isn’t a date, you’re just going out to dinner with your boss_

His thoughts were then frozen as Robin slipped her arm through his and pulled him close, the soft swell of her breast was like fire and ice against his arm and he swallowed quickly while giving her a quick smile, which was returned with interest and a dazzling flash of her perfect white teeth.

_Right I’m going to enjoy this evening, it’s been so long since I’ve been out with anyone who has shown any level of interest in me. So far Corm has been a perfect gentleman and friend. Who knows, a few glasses of wine and it might be payback time for Matthew. He feels so strong, his arm muscles are like iron. I wonder if anything else could be equally hard…._

_STOP IT Ellacott, he’s just a friend and colleague just concentrate, nice meal, couple of drinks and to bed, to rest, lots to do tomorrow_

But the strict internal lecture had done nothing to still the kaleidoscope of butterflies that had taken flight in her stomach

\------

“Right, I thought we could have a drink here first before dinner, I’ve booked us a table at La Cucina, which is a great Italian, hope that’s OK?”

Robin nodded her assent

Strike led her to a very old fashioned pub, The Lamb & Flag

“This used to be your local?”

“Not really, it’s quite a famous pub, been here since the sixteenth century and it’s not tied, so a good range of beers”

Said with a wink to his companion

“What would you like?”

“White wine please, Sauvignon if they have it”

She found them a small table in an alcove and watched her companion make his way to the bar, she found herself admiring his presence, people just seem to melt away from his imposing exterior.

_He looks so intimidating, but I know he’s just the kindest man under that exterior, I so much want to get to know him better, try to understand him._

Strike returned looking pleased with himself, “Got Doom Bar as a guest beer, result. New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc as well. So I got you a large one”

_A large wine, I’ll have to take care, maybe only have a coke with the meal._

They chatted easily together, Robin telling him about her home, carefully avoiding any references to Matthew while Cormoran regaled her with tales of his life in St Mawes, escapades that he had got up to with Ilsa. Robin was intrigued that he’d played Cupid and got his best mate in London together with his childhood friend from Cornwall, just reinforcing Robin’s view of the type of man he was.

“Right best make a move, we’re about ½ hours gentle walk from the restaurant, I thought you might like a stroll through the colleges and have a look at the Bodleian library on the way. Pity we haven’t got time to go out on a punt!”

Robin thoroughly enjoyed her walk, still arm in arm with Cormoran pointing out various sights and telling stories of the nearly two years he had spent as an undergraduate.

“How come you dropped out?”

“Ah that’s a story for another time, I don’t want to spoil what’s a nice evening”

“How about you Robin?”

“Ditto”.

They were welcomed into the restaurant and had an extremely pleasant meal, both sharing a Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil Salad for starter with Robin plumping for Chicken Cacciatore and Corm a large steak & chips, which Robin promptly stole some of the chips from his plate!

Before she could stop him a bottle of Chianti appeared.

It would be churlish not to drink with him now.

The meal was dispatched with easy conversation. And before the realised the wine had gone as well.

“We must have a pud’, fancy sharing Robin?”

“OK, mind if we have my favourite, Tiramisu?”

“God no, I love that as well”

So a large sharing dish appeared in front of them with two spoons and they happily dug in. Robin just stopped herself reaching across and wiping a little cream that had stuck to Cormoran’s top lip

_I would like to try a different way of removing that, whoops Ellacott you are a bit squiffy!_

They finished the meal and ordered coffee, much to Robin’s relief. Which was short lived as a smiling waiter presented them with complimentary Limoncello liqueurs to finish their meal.

_More alcohol, I’ll have to be really careful now I’m useless after a few drinks._

After finishing up Strike requested the bill, Robin took his hand, “Claim this back Cormoran, we are away on business after all”

“Ah, OK, if you insist”

_I wish we weren’t, this has been the best ‘not a date’ I can remember_

Strike pulled his phone out and ordered up a cab, it was quite a walk back to the hotel, much as he would have loved to spend more time together his boss was looking a little bit unsteady.

_Is that the shoes, drink or both? Whichever she’s enchanting_

They got back to the hotel and grabbed their room keys, caught the lift to their floor, with Robin hanging on to him, making his arm and heart ache, he felt on fire. Robin looked at him with intensity burning in her eyes.

Stopping outside her room.

“Thank you Cormoran, I can’t remember having such a pleasant evening”

She slipped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss, her tongue slipping across his lips and teasing into his mouth, filled with promise.

“It’s not over yet, if you want.”

She could feel his arousal pressing against her. He took the key from her hand and popped open her door.

“Thanks Robin, I’m honoured, but I’ll have to turn you down”

And with that he walked up the corridor to his room and with a glance and a smile left Robin standing wondering what the hell had happened. 


	15. A walk along the Isis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin and Corm discuss the night before

Robin sat on the bed, her head in her hands, her mind whirling

_WTF Ellacott, you silly cow. What were you playing at, throwing yourself at him like that, what must he think of you? But I wanted him, I wanted to feel loved so much. The bastard turned me down. What’s wrong with me? Why didn’t Corm want me?_

A tear trickled down her cheek, a lovely evening had ended in disaster. She stripped off her clothes, hanging the dress up & putting the dirty underwear into a plastic bag. She quickly pulled on her vest and short pyjama bottoms, made herself a mug of tea and sat up in bed cradling it in her arms, thinking over the evening, which had been so lovely, right up until the last moments

Her phone buzzed with an incoming text

Strike:

Robin, hope you are OK? Will you go for a walk with me tomorrow morning? We have lots to talk about, please don’t be upset or worry.

C XXX

_A walk of course, I would do anything with you, why didn’t you want me though, what’s wrong with me?_

Robin:

I would like that, meet for breakfast @ 7:30? We don’t have to be in Newbury till 14:00

R x

\-----

Cormoran sat in the restaurant nursing a cup of coffee, he’d been outside and had a start the day fag already. His insides were churning.

_Have I blown it? Have I upset her?_

He saw her the instant she walked into the room, casual in Jeans and plain white shirt, she caught his eye and he saw a flicker as she suppressed a smile. She joined him grabbing a glass of juice and some toast from the buffet. Robin sat looking at her plate, she was tense, anxious, like her companion.

Their eyes met and both spoke at once

“I’m sorry”

Smiles.

“Eat your breakfast Robin, I know a nice walk along the Isis, I think we need to discuss last night”

They worked through the breakfast in strained silence apart from

“Pass the milk please”

“Thanks”

They left the hotel and walked in silence, Strike leading the way, down to the riverside path, it was quiet and tranquil the occasional jogger or dog walker passing them, the shouts of the cox from the boat crews practicing their rowing.

After a few minutes they stopped at a tranquil spot and Cormoran reached and took both of her hands. She looked into his eyes, the same shock, the same spark was there.

“Why?”

“Oh Robin, I couldn’t, not last night. Oh how I wanted to, walking away from you was the most difficult thing I’ve ever done. You kissed me and I was enraptured. Stopping kissing you was heart breaking. But”

“But?”

“I’ve come to care for you, a lot, I didn’t want our first time to be a drunken fumble, you on the rebound. I don’t want to be a quickie, a one off. I respect you, I want to be a man you respect. I want you to choose me for the right reasons, not the wrong ones. Last night was wrong”

“Anyway, you’re my Boss, that’s inappropriate, I’m what, 10 years older than you and I’m a cripple”

They walked on for several minutes, each lost in thought

“I don’t care about the age gap and I never even think about your leg. You do fancy me then?”

_God that sounds like I’m back in the sixth form_

Cormoran stopped, reached out his hand for hers, and gently turned to face her, he slid his fingers gently down her face, cupping her chin

“Fancy you, that’s an understatement, I feel so much for you. But you have a husband that you are trying to extricate yourself from. The last thing you need is me complicating things for you. If you would like I’d like to get to know you better, maybe just as friends for now, let’s follow the plan and get your husband out of your hair. Then if we both still feel the same maybe we could….”

_He’s right of course the last thing I want is more complications, but last night I was so into him. Was it just the drink?_

They resumed walking, Cormoran hadn’t let go of her hand

_But this feels so right, his hand in mine, he is so masculine I just want to drag him somewhere and jump his bones_

A little shiver ran down her spine, he noticed and looked at her concerned.

“Alright?”

“Yeah, everything’s alright”

And stopping she went up on tiptoe and gently kissed his lips

“You are right, let’s just be friends, hang out and see how things go. Thank you, thank you for respecting me. That means a lot, especially as it seems my so called husband doesn’t respect me at all”

“Right, I guess we need to make a move, let’s get to Newbury and meet our contact.”


	16. After Oxford

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin come home

“Morning Sleepyhead”

Robin groaned and forced open her eyes, too much exertion and too little sleep had left her exhausted

A smiling Matthew was looking down at her with a steaming mug and a plate of toasted muffins.

“Why are you sleeping down here?”

_Because you are an arse and you make my flesh crawl, I can hardly stand being in the same room with you._

“I got back from Oxford really late and didn’t want to wake you, so I just lay down here, I must have just passed out”

Matthew looked immaculate as ever, poised and groomed, ready to take on the world of finance.

“You going to take today off? Maybe we could go out somewhere tonight, fancy a Thai meal?”

“I’m sorry Matt I’ll have to go into the office as soon as I’ve had a shower, the Chiswell case is coming to a head, at least the body we found wasn’t human so we don’t have to get the Police involved”

“Well take care, you should try and get yourself some ‘me time’ you know”

Matthew was being exceptionally nice, making a real effort. He leaned down to kiss and Robin turned her cheek to him

“Yeuch you don’t want my morning breath”

_Yeuch if I feel your lips on mine I might puke_

“OK then see you later”

_He really thinks I will just carry on as if nothing happened! Christ he raped me, there was no consent, I was frightened of him, I never want to be in that position again._

Robin heard the front door open, then instead of the slam of it closing she heard Matthew turn round and come back into their living room

“Robin, there’s a yellow Landrover parked out the front?”

“Yes , Cormoran lent it to me, well to the firm, we had to drive down a lot of woodland tracks over the past couple of days, I bought it home last night save messing with Taxi’s and I need to get it cleaned before returning”

She could feel his tension, she braced herself, another row coming, they were endless.

_I’m so sick of this life, home should be where I’m safe and happy…”_

“I see, becoming quite indispensable isn’t he, I suppose you and he have had a cosy time together haven’t you”

A Happy evening, meal, the kiss, the respect for her, all fleetingly went through her memory, replaced by the backbreaking toil in the Dell, angry meetings with the Chiswell family. A pleasant afternoon at Newbury races.

“Yes I supposed we did really, Sam Barclay enjoyed it as well. If you think digging for a body in an overgrown wood is cosy then we ought to try it sometime”

With a glare Matthew left slamming the door on his way out

Robin sat back with a sigh, drank the tea and devoured the muffins. It was going to be a long day.

She had a shower and washed her hair, pulling on comfy t shirt and joggers proceeded to pack all her clothes. She pulled the green dress from her wardrobe, taking in the torn zip, folding it carefully into her case.

She methodically loaded into boxes all the personal items she wanted, ending up with a pile that would fit easily into the back of the Landrover

_Is this it? All I have to show for 10 years together and a year married?_

The doorbell rang.

Robin’s mood lifted as she saw Cormoran’s smiling face with Sam peering round the bulk of Strike

“Thanks guys, I would have struggled on my own”

“Nay problem Robin, happy to help, if we load all your stuff into my Focus, you and Strike here can get off to IKEA”

They quickly loaded Robin’s life into the back of Barclay’s bright orange car. Strike had ribbed his old buddy mercilessly when he’d seen the Focus ST.

“Fuck me Barclay you drive an ASBO car! I thought you were a respectable husband and father now”, several minutes of typical Forces banter had ensued on the drive to Deptford

The plan had been hatched during their time in Oxford, Robin had decided she couldn’t stand living with her husband anymore, even if there was no evidence she was going to sue for divorce regardless, even if it took five years, she knew she could be rid of the man she had once loved and now just filled her with loathing. A couple of phone calls to the Estate agent who managed the building in Denmark St and the empty attic flat had been added to her lease. It would be OK while she sorted her life out and had the benefit of being cheap for central London!

She had taken the least possible from her house, making sure to leave anything that Matthew’s family had bought them. They were off to get the furniture for her new abode, the finest flat pack furniture that she could afford. At least she would be able to put it all together. Matthew had been useless at DIY felt it was beneath him to do manual work.

“Hang on Corm, one last job”

She went into her bedroom put an envelope on Matthew’s pillow, taking one last look around feeling strangely empty. Then into the airing cupboard and retrieved the recording unit, Spanner had said to leave the tiny camera’s, they were disposable items anyway and she had no hope of removing them without leaving visible traces.

She closed the front door for the last time, posting her keys through the letterbox and strode confidently to the Landrover where Cormoran was waiting patiently.

\-----

It was late afternoon and Robin was sitting watching the video clips the surveillance system had recorded.

_You were right Corm, give him enough rope_

She grimaced at the images of her husband roughly taking Sarah Shadlock from behind, his hand around her throat, was that pain or passion in her grimace?

_I’m just glad there’s no sound to this, the pictures are bad enough_

She loaded Photo paper into her inkjet and printed off a couple of stills, one to show beyond doubt the act that was taking place, the other clearly identifying both individuals, despite the facial expressions they were pulling. Ironically Matthew’s wedding ring was shining in that shot.

“Cormoran, you got a second?”

The man who had become her rock leaned on the door jamb.

“Enough?”

She passed him the picture

“Yeah that should do it”

“Thanks for today”

“You’re welcome, at least we have got you a bed for the night in a safe place, we can always get you some more furniture the weekend. You have got a kettle and a toaster so you’ve got the main food groups covered “

She burst out laughing at that comment, it wasn’t that funny but all the tension of the past few days had to come out.

“Well as I can’t cook fancy some food? The Tottenham’s pretty good I hear, and it’s not far”

“Well you’ve twisted my arm”

There was a hammering at the door, Sandra who was just putting her coat on to go home answered it. To a red faced, furious Matthew Cunliffe.

He stormed into the office

“Where’s Robin?”

Strike stood in the doorway blocking his path

“Calm down Matthew”

“Don’t tell me to calm down you fuckin cripple, I’ve come for my wife!”

“Let him in please Cormoran”

Against his better judgement Strike reluctantly stood aside

Matthew stormed into the office.

“What the hell is this, you’ve left me? What the fuck Robin you know I love you!”

Robin sat calmly looking at her soon to be ex-husband

“That’s not true, I don’t think you’ve really loved me for a long time, you just want a pretty wife for your career. Sorry Matthew but I fell out of love with you not long after we married, I don’t know why I married you at all if I’m honest”

He looked shocked

“You don’t mean that Robin, I know I’m demanding at times but you’re the only woman for me”

She reached down into her desk drawer and laid out the two photographs that so clearly disproved his words.

It was like a switch had been thrown, he growled and reached over her desk, grabbing Robin by the throat he pulled her across the top shouting and slapping her across the face

“Bitch, you Bitch, I had to have Sarah because you were fucking frigid, you should be glad I took you in, damaged goods!”

He closed his fist and was about to really punch her when an iron vice seemed to clamp around his wrist. Another grabbed his collar and he was hauled unceremoniously off Robin and hurled into the main office, Sandra huddled terrified behind her desk.

“Leave her alone you arrogant cunt!”

Strike stood in Robin’s office doorway, seemingly relaxed apart from his fists gently flexing at his sides. He was calm and relaxed, a trained state that he’d used before. Breaking up fights between paratroopers had all been in a day’s work. An angry accountant gave him no concern.

“Now fuck off out of here”

Blind rage had filled Matthew, he never even considered his opponent, it was just an obstacle stopping him from extracting vengeance from the wife who had shamed him.

With a wild roar he raged at Strike, who calmly smacked him in the stomach and met the face coming down, from all the air being driven from him, with a solid fist, producing a very satisfying crunch as cartilage disintegrated and Matthew’s aquiline nose was redistributed across his handsome features

Spinning him round, with one arm up his back and the other hauling his trousers up into his crutch he unceremoniously threw him out onto the landing

“And don’t come back, you will be hearing from Robin’s lawyers”

Closing and bolting the door he ran to attend to Robin who was sitting on the floor sobbing. He sat beside her and for the second time in a week comforted this wonderful woman who clung sobbing, curled in his lap.


	17. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Several Months Later

Robin and Cormoran sat in the Tottenham, it was what had become one of their regular Friday sessions. A pleasant evening between friends, casual, chatting about work. The business was doing well. Helping the Police catch Chiswell’s murderer had bought in load more trade and the investigators had a backlog and a healthy bank balance

Strike had got himself a place over by Euston and was really happy as it was ground floor, so no steps.

It hadn’t taken Robin long to transform the attic flat into a homely, welcoming space. Cormoran had been in a couple of times during case work and Robin had visited his new place as well and helped him transform it from a barrack room into a bachelor pad.

“I’ve got a bit of good news today Corm”

“Go on then”

“I’m free of the shit at last, decree nisi came through! Ilsa has asked if we fancy a curry around theirs to celebrate tomorrow”

They had fallen into making up a foursome occasionally and Robin now counted on them as her friends as well as Strike’s

They had an easy routine, visits to the cinema, museums. None of the passion of the night in Oxford had recurred. More it was a steadily growing respect and caring for each other.

Cormoran beamed,

“That’s brilliant news”

After the drama that had surrounded Robin leaving him Cunliffe had, of course, reported Strike to the Police for assault. That hadn’t amounted to anything when eyewitness accounts from Strike Sandra & Robin had presented Matthew with withdrawing the charges or facing similar from Robin & Strikes reasonable defence of coming to his bosses rescue.

“I’ve got something for you tonight as well Robin, do you mind popping back to the office?”

So they finished their drinks and walked back to Denmark St, Robin slipping her arm easily through Cormoran’s and both walking in quiet contemplation.

_Something is different about him tonight? Is this it, it’s so hard forcing down my feelings for him but they just keep growing. What can I do?_

They went into the office and Robin instinctively put the kettle on. Strike went to his desk drawer and came back with an envelope and a small package

_What’s this? Oh no please Cormoran don’t leave I don’t know what I will do without you!_

He handed the envelope to Robin, she nervously tore it open. A cheque made payable to the business. For £50,000

“What’s this Corm?”

“I finally got my compensation cheque from the MoD, I would dearly love to become a partner, if you’ll have me?”

Robin gasped, it was the last thing she had expected

“Yes, Yes I’d love it” and threw her arms around him with a massive hug

He responded in kind brushing her hair behind her ear.

“You remember Oxford?”

“I’ll never forget it”

“Remember I told you we shouldn’t because you were drunk, my Boss and I’m crippled?”

Robin held her breath

“Well, we’re not drunk, and you’ll be my Partner, not boss, is two out of three good enough”

She threw herself into his welcoming arms their lips joined, tongue’s explored, and passion fizzed

Robin pulled back

“Shall we go up to my flat?” Her eyes glowing with desire

Strike gave her that smile “I take it 2 out of 3 is enough? I’ve no intention of turning you down this time”

She took his hand and led them up to her flat, with nervous, expectant glances the whole way, as the door closed behind them they melded together each drawing oxygen from the other. Cormoran eased her around, running his fingers through her hair, nibbling her neck, sending surges of lust through her body.

“Can I put this on you?”

He held out a pendant necklace, rose gold with three stones each larger than the one above, two emeralds and a diamond.

“Corm it’s gorgeous!”

He slipped it around her neck, the gold & green complementing her complexion perfectly.

“In the Army we have something called the spoils of war, this is ours. I took the ear stud you found and had this made with it, so every time I see you with it I can remember it bringing you to me, the day I found the love of my life”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it finished!
> 
> I started it as a short story but people wanted more. Thank You!  
> I have enjoyed writing this more than anything else I have done, I really got my head around this world, I had the end laid out ages ago but the bit in the middle just seem to keep developing  
> Thank you everyone for Kudos, support and all the comments you have all been brilliant
> 
> I might try to return to this timeline again but I have other project that deserve finishing 
> 
> Again thanks for all your support

**Author's Note:**

> This one popped into my head as a quick one off but while writing it the idea spooled a bit out of control so it might be a few chapters


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